Amphibians

As a kid I would have spent all my time catching frogs, snakes, & turtles and would have mostly ignored the spiders, moths & butterflies. Italicized entries are not found in Middlesex County.

Ranidae (True Frogs)

Rana pipiens (Northern leopard frog) (Willard's Woods, 8/18/02 11am, Whipple Hill, 8/1/08 11am) There is a moderate chance these are really a Pickerel frogs.

Rana palustris (Pickerel frog) (Willards Woods, 7/21/01 11am) I am moderately confident I've gotten this identification correct. The yellow on the undersides of the hind legs is diagnostic for the Pickerel frog, as compared to the Northern leopard frog.

Rana sylvatica (Wood frog) (Lower Vine Brook, 7/1/15 1pm, 9/14/13 2pm, Willards Woods, 9/7/02 2pm, 3/18/12 1pm)

eggs (Whipple Hill, 4/9/11 2pm)

Rana catesbeiana (Bullfrog) (Whipple Hill, 8/26/01 3pm) I don't know if it is due to global warming, but this bullfrog was out and about on January 6! (Upper Vine Brook, 1/6/07 3pm) (Parker Meadow, 8/20/12 11am) A blue frog! The blue color is due to a lack of yellow pigment.

Rana clamitans (Green frog) (Whipple Hill, 9/21/08 2pm)

Hylidae (True Tree Frogs)

adults a baby Hyla crucifer (Spring peeper) (adults Whipple Hill, 8/31/10 2pm, baby Willards Woods, 7/16/06 7pm)

Hyla versicolor baby (Gray Treefrog) (Lexington High School, 7/22/17 3pm)

Bufonidae (True Toads)

Bufo americanus (American toad) (Lower Vine Brook, 8/30/08 1pm (2), Lexington 5/28/06 9am (2), Willard's Woods 5/26/12 12pm (2), 6/1/13 10am) tadpole (just growing legs, one of many -- see next photo) tadpoles (Lower Vine Brook, 6/25/08 11am) eggs (Lower Vine Brook, 4/20/12 2pm)

Bufo woodhousei fowleri? (Fowler's Toad) (Willard's Woods, 6/24/12 12pm) I think this is a Fowler's toad, although many of the American toads (maybe) I've found look awfully similar. This toad has the dorsal stripe and a spotless chest and belly (not photographed, but I flipped it over to check). However, it is hard to tell if it has 3 or more warts per blotch. I know the two species hybridize, so perhaps many of the toads I've seen are hybrids.

Pelobatidae (Spadefoot Toads)

Scaphiopus holbrookii (Eastern Spadefoot Toad)

Plethodontidae (Lungless Salamanders)

Plethodon cinereus (Red-backed salamander) (Whipple Hill, 5/20/00 3pm, Willard's Woods, 9/28/02 12pm, Lower Vine Brook, 5/4/13 11am)

Desmognathus fuscus (Northern Dusky Salamander)

Hemidactylium scutatum (Four-toed Salamander)

Gyrinophilus porphyriticus (Spring Salamander)

Eurycea bislineata (Northern Two-lined Salamander)

Ambystomatidae (Mole Salamanders)

Ambystoma laterale (Blue-spotted salamander) (Beverly, 11/03/03 6pm) I was shocked to see this little one sitting in the middle of the cement path connecting my office building to the parking lot! I brought it inside for its picture.

Ambystoma maculatum (Spotted salamander) (Lower Vine Brook, 9/14/13 2pm, Whipple Hill, 9/9/07 12pm)

(Whipple Hill, 8/21/12 1pm) A young spotted salamander? I didn't have my net with me and it scooted away when I tried to grab it.

Ambysoma opacum (Marbled Salamander)

Ambysoma jeffersonianum (Jefferson Salamander, special concern)

Salamandridae (Newts)

Aquatic adult eft aquatic larva Notophthalmus viridescens (Red-spotted newt) (Lower Vine Brook, 5/28/11 2pm, 10/6/12 4pm, Whipple Hill, 9/1/07 11am, 8/21/12 1pm for red eft & larva, Lower Vine Brook, 7/14/13 12pm)

Necturidae (Mudpuppies and Waterdogs)

Necturus maculosus (Mudpuppy) Imported from the middle-north of the country in the 19th century.

Identifications

Links